Former Formula One driver and 24 Hour of Le Mans winner Mark Blundell writes his latest exclusive F1 column, with the Royston-based chief executive of MB Partners reflecting on the Malaysian Grand Prix before looking forward to this weekend's events at Suzuka.

As we enter the final five race weekends of the championship, this season is proving to be one that is characterised by dramatic revivals, recoveries and relapses in form.

As quickly as Nico Rosberg built up an impressive lead in the early stages of the season, he saw it eliminated by Lewis Hamilton's imperious mid-season form.

At that stage, Lewis' momentum seemed overwhelming but over the past month the title race has been turned on its head again as Nico has surged into a 23-point lead.

Malaysia must have prompted a sense of déjà vu for Lewis as his early season technical problems re-emerged.

With just 17 laps to go, with Nico back in fourth, Lewis looked set to return to the championship summit, wiping out the points deficit in a single race.

Hamilton had delivered a dominant performance across the weekend until a trail of smoke emerged out of the rear of his car as he made his way down the pit straight.

Hamilton's exit allowed Rosberg to extend his lead at the top of the championship, and now means that the odds are firmly stacked in the German's favour as we enter the critical stage of the season.

The weekend saw Daniel Ricciardo claim his first win since 2014 and few around the circuit would begrudge the affable Australian this.

Despite showing signs of improvement, the superiority of the Silver Arrows and the emergence of Max Verstappen have led to a frustrating season for Ricciardo, often having to settle for being the 'best of the rest'.

His infamous 'shoey' celebration aside, Daniel was clearly emotional after the race as his success in Malaysia rewarded the faith that has been tested at times this year, particularly after the Monaco GP.

Another of the weekend's highlights was seeing Jolyon Palmer collect his first championship point. The British driver has threatened the points positions a number of times this season only to be undone at the final hurdle.

While speculation over Renault's second driver for 2017 persists, Palmer has pushed Kevin Magnussen hard in the second half of the season.

The team are upfront about their desire for a 'leading' driver next year, but Jenson Button's sabbatical and Sergio Perez's decision to renew his contract at Force India means Palmer still has realistic hopes of holding on to his seat.

The coming weekend sees the Formula One roadshow take camp at one of its most revered stomping grounds – Suzuka, in Japan.

Much like Spa and Monaco, Suzuka has a great atmosphere when you visit. You can almost feel the drama that has unfolded on the track.

The names of Senna, Prost and Schumacher are etched into the history of the track and fans will be hoping we will be treated to another classic this weekend.

The major story will be at the front of the grid with five consecutive wins now being the only way Hamilton can guarantee finding himself top of the pile after the final curtain falls in Abu Dhabi, unless Nico slips up along the way.

The interest will not be limited to this however; with the season's climax approaching, there are interesting sub-plots as drivers jostle for seats for 2017, meaning it should be a fiercely competitive weekend across the grid.